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Extra Points: Schaub deserves better in Houston

Philadelphia, Pa (SportsNetwork.com) - What have you done for me lately?

The Houston Texans were an expansion team that compiled a dismal 24-56 record in five seasons before Matt Schaub arrived in a trade from the Atlanta Falcons before the 2007 season.

Since then the Texans have amassed a far more respectable 55-46 mark, culminating with a 22-10 stretch over the past two seasons, along with a pair of AFC South crowns and two postseason wins.

The goal is this game is the Super Bowl, however, and back-to-back losses in the divisional round of the playoffs -- to Baltimore after the 2011 season and New England last year -- have many in South Texas wondering if Schaub is the kind of guy who could get the Texans over the hump.

It's been Super Bowl or bust for Houston since a core highlighted by Andre Johnson, Arian Foster and J.J. Watt and headlined by Schaub gelled. And like most QBs, Schaub gets more heat than deserved when things don't go according to plan.

Never mind it was backup TJ Yates coming up short in the loss to the Ravens two years ago after a Lisfranc injury derailed Schaub's season weeks earlier. And it's inconsequential the defense wasn't able to carry its own water in last year's debacle against the Pats.

Revisionist history doesn't accentuate Schaub's finer points like the realization this guy was 19-7 over his past 26 games as a starter entering 2013.

It does, however, point to the four-year extension worth up to $62 million Schaub signed early in 2012, especially after the Texans' 2-3 start this year, a hiccup culminated by four straight games in which Schaub has thrown a pick- six to the opposition, an NFL record no one wants attached to their resume.

For the first time against San Francisco in Week 5 the pressure seemed to be getting to Schaub. The veteran looked indecisive on a number of throws, failing to make simple reads he has executed hundreds of times in his career.

The results weren't pretty. Schaub finished 19-of-35 against the Niners for 173 yards and three interceptions during a 34-3 setback.

The sharks began circling and head coach Gary Kubiak, who is also on the hot seat, seriously considered turning over his team to Yates.

Meanwhile, according to CBS Houston, a few Texans "fans" took matters into their own hands and accosted Schaub at his home on Tuesday evening, berating him for his poor play.

"A fan went to his house and told him off," a law enforcement source the network.

Another person reportedly "took pictures of (Schaub's) family" before leaving.

Schaub, himself, tried to downplay the incident to reporters on Wednesday, admitting that he contacted team security after seeing fans take pictures outside his home but saying that to his knowledge, he didn't notice anyone screaming obscenities.

NFL vice president of security Jeff Miller, however, confirmed to NFL.com that an unidentified person pulled into Schaub's driveway and yelled obscenities at him, while the Schaub family filed a report with the Houston Police Department regarding two separate trespassers.

Former Scottish soccer player and manager Bill Shankly once uttered a great line regarding his sport and the fans obsession over it:

"Some people think football (remember soccer is football in Europe) is a matter of life and death," he said. "I assure you, it's much more serious than that."

It's not of course.

Any form of football or any sport for that matter is just a game and at its core, a form of escapist entertainment.

It's OK to get upset over your favorite team's signal caller throwing his latest pick-six but when that morphs into putting the key in the ignition to go over to his house in an effort to harass him or his family, you have gone from healthy outlet to psychosis.

The majority of Texans fans are lucid individuals. It's the vocal minority that is often abhorrent and deranged.

The ironic thing is the irrational idiots who took the time to terrorize Schaub and his family are only hurting the very team they think they love.

And closed circuit to them -- you'll never have to uncover the addresses for Yates or Case Keenum because irrelevance rarely spawns hate.

Schaub is going through a tough time in his professional life right now but he's put enough goodwill in the bank to expect the benefit of the doubt.

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